​And finally: Apple preps new health wearable for 2017

Welcome to And finally, our weekly round-up of the rumours and whispers from the world of wearable tech. We pride ourselves on our exhaustive coverage of up-to-the-minute happenings in the world of connected tech.

But every Sunday we let loose and round-up all the best rumours and conjecture in one story. And this week it's a bumper instalment. Enjoy.

Apple preps new health focused wearable

As speculation mounts about an Apple Watch 2 release in September, it seems Apple is already planning another wearable device that will focus on health. A flurry of reports this week point to supply chain whispers and patent applications as confirmation that a new health device was in the works.

Quartz reports that a new patent for an ECG has been filed by the Cupertino-based company, while Taiwan's Economic Daily News (translated by Apple Insider) goes further to claim that Apple will mark the ten year anniversary of the iPhone with a wearable device that will ""accurately collect users' personal daily life including heart rate, pulse, blood sugar changes and other information."

And when you consider the company's drive with ResearchKit, CareKit and HealthKit, a health focused future seems to make sense.

So when will this mystery device come out? It seems to be unlikely it will be this year, and all reports point to 2017 as a potential target. It's arrival would also change the landscape for consumer health tech: Withings and Philips with its Health Watch have currently made the biggest play, but the scope and reach of their devices haven't realised the potential of the wearable health tech revolution.

Apple Watch 2 to feature GPS

Moving neatly onto a more imminent Apple device is a report from Apple Insider, which quotes a well-connected analyst who reckons GPS and waterproofing will appear on the Apple Watch 2. Ming-Chi Kuo also believes that Apple's next wearable will feature a bigger battery, which will prohibit a slimmer device.

GoPro Hero 5 might pack GPS

Another gem from the FCC, Engadget reports that the next version of the GoPro Hero action camera may pack GPS. There's not much detail on how this would work, but there are clear comparisons already in the market. Garmin's VIRB action camera can overlay data on distance, speed, airtime and other extreme sports metrics onto captured video. It would make sense for GoPro to ape this features for its next release.

Samsung Gear S3 Classic on way

The worst kept secret in tech is that Samsung will be releasing an update to the Gear S2 at IFA this year. However, a new trademark application spotted by SamMobile shows there will be a new Samsung Gear S3 Classic, the metal-clad, classier leather strapped version of the smartwatch. This pretty much clears up any chance of their being a new skew of wearables for Samsung at IFA – the only question now is what the updated tech will bring.

Baseball players wary of wearables

Away from new devices getting lined up for IFA is a new story this week that shows that some baseball players are fearful of the effect that wearables could wreak on the sport.

In a great feature by Vocativ, players call into question "data collection mission creep." The feature quotes New York Yankees pitcher Adam Warren who said:

"The thing you worry about, though, is, what if a team sees he's a bad sleeper or he puts a little more stress on his arm, whatever these devices do. You worry about, if you're not the greatest at a certain [metric], does that affect your contract? Does that affect how the team sees you?"